CUNA presented a resolution at Tuesday morning's Governmental Affairs Conference general session honoring the siblings for their many contributions to the movement, and the conference's nearly 5,000 attendees gave the Herrings a standing ovation.

"We're part of a family with combined service in credit unions of more than 150 years," said Catherine Herring, CEO of Communicating Arts CU, Cincinnati. "I can only hope Bill and I have done our mother's legacy justice."

Louise Herring was regarded as the "Mother of Credit Unions" and was a pioneer of the cooperative credit union movement. She attended the 1934 meeting in Estes Park, Colo., that created CUNA, and is credited with establishing 500 credit unions.

Her children have each spent more than 40 years in the credit union movement.

"Credit unions are organizations of people, not dollars, and I think it'll serve us well to always remember that," Catherine Herring said.

Bill Herring, who in April will retire as president/CEO of Cincinnati Central CU, praised CUNA and the Ohio Credit Union League as valuable partners. He said those organizations are in good hands, with CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle and Ohio League President Paul Mercer.

"I look to CUNA as the keeper of the flame of the credit union philosophy," Bill Herring said.

Nussle praised the Herrings' long, dedicated and selfless commitment to the credit union movement and CUNA.

"They've championed the philosophy of credit unions placing service to members above all else, and they've lived that every day," Nussle said.

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